Chinese Idioms

Question 1

成语

Answer 1

chéng yǔ - Chinese idiom

Question 2

闲言少叙

Answer 2

xían yán shǎo xù - without further ado

Question 3

半途而废

Answer 3

bàn tú ér fèi - to give up halfway

半 - Half
途 - Path; Way
而 - Connects a condition to a result (半 & 废)
废 - To give up; Abandon

Question 4

不可思议

Answer 4

bù kě sī yì - Inconceivable

不 - Not
可 - Can
思 - To think; Consider
议 - Speech; Language

Question 5

废寝忘食

Answer 5

fèi qǐn wáng shí - To forget food and rest

废 - To give up; Abandon
寝 - Sleep
忘 - Forget
食 - Food

Not used for someone with poor sleep/eating habits; used to praise someone for working hard (job, exams, etc.)

Question 6

东张西望

Answer 6

dōng xhāng xī wàng - To look this way and that way

东 - East
西 - West
张望 - To look

Used to describe someone looking around aimlessly or someone standing around idly looking lost

Question 7

不相上下

Answer 7

bù xiāng shàng xià - Evenly matched; Little difference

不 - Not
相 - Each other (Connecting two things together
上 - Up
下 - Down

Question 8

小心翼翼

Answer 8

xiǎo xīn yì yì - With great care; Very cautious

小 - Small
心 - Heart
小心 - To be careful
翼 - Wing
翼翼 - Respectful; Serious

Question 9

爱不释手

Answer 9

ài bú shì shǒu - To love something too much to part with it

爱 - Love
不 - Not
释 - Release; Let go
手 - Hand

Not used to talk about people, and must be small enough to carry

Question 10

迫不及待

Answer 10

pò bù jí dài - Can’t wait

迫 - Urgency
不 - Not
及 - In time for
待 - To wait

Question 11

知足常乐

Answer 11

zhī zú cháng lè - Contentment is happiness

知 - To know
足 - Sufficient
知足 - To be content
常 - Constant
乐 - Happiness

Describes a certain attitude towards life (Basically saying “It could be worse” and you have to be happy with what you have)

Question 12

丢三落四

Answer 12

diū sān là sì - Scatterbrained; Forgetful

丢 -  To lose
三 - Three
落 - To forget to bring
四 - Four
三四 - Used often as "this and that"

Question 13

莫名其妙 & 莫明其妙

Answer 13

mò míng qí miào - Indescribable; Baffling

莫 - No one
名 - To express; Describe
明 - To understand
其 - References whatever is being talked about
妙 - Mysterious

Question 14

无能为力

Answer 14

wú néng wéi lì - Powerless; Helpless

无 - To not have
能 - Ability
为 - As
力 - Power

Question 15

有条不紊

Answer 15

yǒu tiáo bù wěn - Methodical; Orderly

有 - To have
条 - Order
不 - Not
紊 - Disorder

Question 16

想方设法

Answer 16

xiǎng fāng shè fǎ - To think really hard about how to do something

想 - To think
设 - To design
方法 - Method

Question 17

岂有此理

Answer 17

qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ - Absurd; Preposterous

岂 - How
有 - To have
此 - This
理 - Logic; Reason

Question 18

物美价廉

Answer 18

wù měi jià lián - Cheap but good; Bargain

物 - Object
美 - Good; Pleasing
价 - Price
廉 - Cheap; Inexpensive

Question 19

吞吞吐吐

Answer 19

tūn tūn tǔ tǔ - To stumble words; To mutter and mumble

吞 - To swallow; Gulp
吐 - To spit; Throw up

Question 20

恍然大悟

Answer 20

huǎng rán dà wù - To suddenly understand; Realize

恍 - Sudden; Abrupt
然 - Adverbial suffix
大 - Large; Great
悟 - Realization; Understanding

Question 21

千方百计

Answer 21

qiān fāng bǎi jì - Every possible way

千 - Thousand
方 - Method; Way
百 - Hundred
计 - Plan

Question 22

急于求成

Answer 22

jí yú quí chéng - Over-anxious to finish; Rushing for results

急 - Urgency; Impatience
于 - To seek for; Strive for
求 - Completion
成 - Indicates aim or goal of preceding word

Question 23

齐心协力

Answer 23

qí xīn xié lì - To work as one

齐 - To bring together
心 - Heart; Mind
协 - To join
力 - Power; Ability

Question 24

无微不至

Answer 24

wú wēi bú zhì - Meticulously

无 - To not have
微 - Tiny
不 - Not
至 - To reach

Question 25

微不足道

Answer 25

wēi bù zú dào - Insignificant; Negligible

微 - Tiny
不 - Not
足 - Enough
道 - To mention

Question 26

理所当然

Answer 26

lǐ suǒ dāng rán - Obvious; Naturally

理 - Logic
所 - Connects a noun to a modifier
当然 - As it should be

Question 27

力所能及

Answer 27

lì suǒ néng jí - To do everything in one’s power

力 - Power; Ability
所 - Connects a noun to a modifier
能 - To be able to
及 - To reach